Mother of main accused in Kavin caste killing case held 10 months

Madurai: CB-CID on Friday arrested suspended sub-inspector S Krishnakumari, mother of main accused S Surjith in the murder of software engineer Kavin Selvaganesh in Tirunelveli, nearly 10 months after the incident.

Krishnakumari was named as the third accused in the FIR and chargesheet filed by investigators. The arrest followed repeated directions from courts over the delay in securing her custody.

The case is being tried before the special court for cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Tirunelveli. Though the chargesheet had already been filed, Krishnakumari remained out of custody for months. A court had directed investigators to produce her during proceedings held last November. After she failed to appear, a non-bailable warrant was issued against her. She did not appear even during the hearing held on May 26.

The trial court questioned why she had not been arrested despite being named in the chargesheet and directed CB-CID to take action. CB-CID later traced and arrested Krishnakumari, who investigators said had been absconding.

She was questioned at the CBCID office in Perumalpuram, Palayamkottai. Police later took her to Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital for a medical examination. Visuals from the arrest showed her crying while boarding a police vehicle after being brought out of the CB-CID office.

The arrest came months after the Madurai bench of the Madras high court criticised CB-CID’s handling of the case. Justice L Victoria Gowri had questioned why Krishnakumari was not arrested when her husband Saravanan had already been taken into custody.

Kavin, a scheduled caste man from Arumugamangalam in Tuticorin district, was murdered at KTC Nagar in Tirunelveli on July 27, 2025. Investigators alleged the killing was linked to his relationship with Subashini, sister of Surjith. CB-CID had earlier arrested Surjith, his father Saravanan and their relative Jayapaul.

Both Saravanan and Krishnakumari were placed under suspension after the murder case surfaced.